The Democrats, one of the cornerstones of the future government led by the chairman of Progressive Slovakia, Michal Šimeček, revealed to us how they will care after the next elections. A bungled referendum will cost us dearly.
Photo: TASR, Pavel Neubauer
Leader and chairman of the Democrats Jaroslav Naď (center), Eduard Heger on the left, Juraj Šeliga on the right
Although the referendum is a solo action of Jaroslav Naď, Eduard Heger or Juraj Šelig, the other opposition “democratic” parties indirectly support it. So the PS, KDH, SaS and Hnutie Slovakia of Igor Matovič are also responsible.
Early elections should have been the fundamental issue of the referendum. However, the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic almost four years ago – when President Zuzana Čaputová appealed to it – decided that it is not possible to shorten the election period or call early elections through a referendum. Nothing has changed since then, and all renowned constitutional lawyers have emphasized this. Only Radoslav Procházka – a former politician – admitted that under certain circumstances this could happen.
Nevertheless, the Democrats launched a petition to call a referendum. They could consult with renowned lawyers. It didn’t happen, because they have enough sense (which we already have experience with). Juraj Šeliga formulated the question in his own way. That Šeliga, who, even as a member of the National Council, fought against the fact that the members approved a constitutional law enabling the shortening of the election period by referendum. Memory loss? The end justifies the means? Hypocrisy?
According to the strict moral and ethical criteria of some activists, various liberals and progressives, who constantly argue that at the slightest misstep, this or that politician of Smer, Hlas and SNS should resign, Šeliga should leave politics immediately. But for Juraj Šeliga, who made himself visible at rallies after the murder of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová (later on the side of the Tatra financial tiger Andrej Kiska), probably an unthinkable thing. A politician counts on a career for life.
Two other questions are also disputed. People will vote on whether the Special Prosecutor’s Office and the National Criminal Agency will be re-established. And the second question is a complete flop: the abolition of the life annuity for Robert Fico, more precisely for the Prime Minister and the National Council, after they spent two full terms in office. Now only Fico fulfills this condition. What’s the catch?
Šeliga, Naď and Heger should accept political responsibility for the expensive referendum failure. Also for misleading naive people with the question of early elections.
If Fico receives the annuity for approximately 20-25 years and about 50,000 euros is paid out annually, plus inflation, it will amount to approximately 1.3 to a maximum of 2 million euros. The referendum on July 4 is expected to cost up to 12 million euros (three years ago it cost 10 million). A difference of 10 million euros. Right now, with the annuity, costs are rising gradually and this year Fico is not entitled to it. Where should we take 12 million euros from the empty state coffers for a new “nuclear vessel”? This is how our opposition imagines consolidation, the deficit of public finances is stolen from it. No change compared to the sloppiness of the Matovič and Heger governments.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about life annuities. Why do presidents receive life annuities after only five years? In the beginning, it was thought that the president would be at an advanced age and a lifetime pension would ensure a decent standard of living and majesty for the head of state. But, for example, Zuzana Čaputová and Andrej Kiska left when they were still quite “young”. It is clear that the former head of state cannot simply return to his original profession. A longtime prime minister yes? And the Attorney General? Because he was also talked about recently. And it is questionable whether policemen, soldiers and firefighters should receive retirement pensions and whether they should be in their forties, not after reaching the age of 55 or 60. Our system is far from the standard in the EU.
Let’s not forget that members of the European Parliament also receive generous lifetime annuities. Against this, the Democrats, Progressive Slovakia, SaS, KDH or Hnutie Slovensko, their supporters and various activists do not protest at all.
Šeliga, Naď and Heger should accept political responsibility for the expensive referendum failure. Also for misleading naive people with the question of early elections. And what about other opposition politicians? If they don’t protest, they are telling us that philandering and throwing millions of euros out the window will be typical of Šimeček’s coalition government.
